Cigar punching machine



April 20, 1948. 5, 550 2,440,156

CIGAR, rimonme MACHINE Filed June 12, 1945 ,make up bunches of cigars.

Patented Apr. 2Q, 1948 CIGAR PUNCHING MACHINE Sam; Reso, Jacksonville, Fla assignor to Universal Tobacco Machine (10., 1110., Jacksonville, Fla., a corporation of Florida Application June 12, 1945, Serial No. 599,019

3 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a machine for punching cigars in bunches. It is an object of the invention to provide a machine of this kind which has improved features to facilitate the punching operation.

In many cigar factories, it is customary to These bunches are given a standard shape and are held together by suitable bands. In order to give the cigars good drawing properties, the closed end of each cigar is punched axially with a heated needle, the heat tending to prevent closing of the hole when the needle is removed. In the manufacture of cigars, greater speed in performing any operation, such as punching, means increased economy, provided that the percentage of defective cigars produced does not increase also. The purpose of the machine hereinafter described is therefore to permit an increase in the speed of the punching operation and at the same time to cause less injury to the cigars.

For further advantageous features of the in vention, reference may be had to the following description of an embodiment thereof, and to the drawing, of which Figure 1 is a front elevation of a machine embodying the invention,

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same,

Figure 3 is a partial front elevation of the same, the top plate being in its elevated position.

Figure 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Figure 1, and

Figure 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Figure 2.

The machine illustrated is supported on a frame or stand l0 which has a table top I2 and a lower shelf l4. Four posts I6 extend up from the table l2 and support cup plate l8. This plate has a set of cup-shaped depressions 20 in its upper surface, each said depression being shaped to receive the end of a cigar to be punched. The

depressions 28 are arranged to register with the cigars of a bunch so that when a bunch is placed on the plate, each cigar will have its lower end seated in one of the depressions. At the center of each said depression is a hole 22 extending through the plate to provide a passage for a needle to be thrust up from below to punch the end of the cigar engaged therein.

The cup plate is is rigidly supported. Vertically movable above it is a top plate 24 having a bearing member 26 slidable on a vertical standard 28 which is mounted on the table l2. A spring 30 surrounds the standard 28 between the lower end of the bearing member 26 and a. collar 2 32 which is fixed on the standard'28. This spring presses the top plate 24 upward to a position sufficiently elevated above the cup plate l8 to allow room for the insertion of a bunch of cigars between the two plates. The cups or depressions 28 in the cup plate are arranged and spaced so that when a bunch of cigars is placed thereon each cup will receive an end of one of the cigars in the bunch. Thus the bunches of cigars inserted in the machine must be of substantially uniform size, shape and arrangement. If it is desired to punch the cigars in a lot of bunches of another size or shape, a' corresponding cup plate may be substituted for the cup plate shown. To facilitate such a substitution, the cup plate 58 has four holes in the corner portions thereof which holes receive reduced end portions 34 of the posts I6. .The plate l8 can thus be lifted off the tops of the posts [6 and may be replaced by another cup plate.

When a bunch of cigars is placed on the cup plate 58, the top plate 24 is pushed down until it bears on the top ends of, the cigars. To hold the top plate in this position, a hook 36 is employed to catch on a lug 38 secured to the edge of the table [2. The hook 36 depends from a bracket 46 which projects laterally from the bearing member 26. When the hook is in engagement with the lug 38, the cigars are held immovable between the two plates; ,After the cigars have been punched, the hook can be disengaged from the lug 38. A sloping shoulder 42 just above the hook engages in a guide member 44 and eases the upward movement of the plate 24.

The punching is 'done by a set of needles 50 mounted on a needle plate 52. The needles are arranged and spaced so as to register with the holes 22 in the plate [8. Thus when the needle plate 52 is elevated; the needles enter the holes 22 and pierce the ends of the cigars held between the top plate and cup plate.

In order to prevent the holes in the cigars from closing when the needles are withdrawn, the needles are heated. For this purpose a heater plate 54 is secured against the bottom of the needle plate 52. A suitable heating unit 56, preferably electric, is contained within the plate 54. The heater plate is supported on a platform 68 from which it is insulated by an intervening layer of asbestos or the like. The needle plate 52 and heater plate 54 are detachably secured to the platform 58 by any suitable means such as bolts 62 near the corners thereof. This permits quick removal and replacement of the needle plate and/or the heater plate. If a change is made in the cup plate I8 to accommodate bunches of a different size, a corresponding change must be made in the needle plate 52. It may also be desirable to change the heater plate 54 ifa different degree of heat is desired or if a heating unit fails. To facilitate handling of these plates, suitable handles 68 'and68'are'provided.

The platform 58 is mounted on the upper end of a vertical rod 10 which slides through a hear-- ing 12 in the table l2 and a bearing 14-in-the lower shelf [4. The platform and plates secured thereto are kept from rotation bya' guide pin I6 which projects down from the platform 58* through a hole in the table [2. This assembly is drawn toward its lowermost position both by gravity and by a, spring I8 which is compressed between the bearing 14 and a collar 89 adjustably secured near the lower end of the rod 10. In such position, the needle points are lower than the cup plate I8:

To e'levate th'e assembly so that the needles will enter theholes'22 and be thrust into the cigar ends,- atoothed raok'82 is'formed on or attached to the rod 10; I111 mesh withthis rack is a gear sector 84on' the end-'of' a rocking lever 86 which is-pivoted at 88 to a suitable bracket and is provided with a handle 90" at its other end; If operation by foot is preferred, a treadle 92 may be attached to a bracket 94, the treadle being connected to the lever 86 by a suitable link 95.

Tooperate the mechanism the hook 35 is released so that the top plate can be raised by the spring30. A bunchof' cigars is then placed on thecup-plate l8 and the top'plate is moved down by hand until the hook 36' catches on the lug 38. Thus the cigars are heldimmovable between the cup plate and the top plate. Then the handle 90 or the treadle 92 is depressed to move the needles upward, the needles having already been heated by the unit 56. The hot needles pierce the ends of'thecigarsandr make permanent holes therein; The needles'are then withdrawn by the spring 18; thehook 36 is disengaged, and the cigars are removed to: make room for another bunch.-

I claim:

l. A machine for punching cigars, comprising a cup plate having recesses therein to receive ends of cigars in a bunch and a hole below each recess;- me'an's rigidly supporting said cup plate, a top plate spaced above and parallel to said '4 cup plate, means supporting said top plate for vertical movement, spring means pressing said top plate upward, latch means for retaining said top plate in a depressed position, a needle plate vertically movable below said cup plate, needles projecting upward from said needle plate and movable therewith to project through respective holes in said cup plate, means for: heating said needles, and means operable-to elevate said needle plate and needles.

2. A machine for punching cigars, comprising 'acup plate having recesses therein to receive the ends of cigars in a bunch and a hole below each said recess, a stationary table, posts extending up from said table and rigidly supporting said cup plate, a top plate vertically movableabove said cup plate, spring means pressing said top plate upward, means for locking said top'plate in a depressed position, a needle plate beneath said cup plate having needles registering with said holes, a platformsupporting said needle plate, a vertical shaft extending down from said platform, and means operable-to move said shaft vertically so as to project said needles through said holes.

3. A cigar punching machine comprising a frame, means on said frame for holding a bunch of cigars in a fixed position, and means operable to punch the ends of the cigars thus held, said operable means including a needle plate with needles thereon, means for heating saidneedles,- a platform supporting said needle plate and heating means, a rod projecting down from-said platform and slidable in said frame to elevate and lower said platform, needle plate and heating means, spring means pressing said rod downward, a lever rockably mounted on said frame'and operatively connected to said rod, and a second lever rockable mounted onsaid frame and operatively connected to the first said lever for simultaneous rocking therewith, one of said levers having a handle at its free end, the other said lever having a foot plate.

SAM RESO.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: 

